User:Draynichols/Dwight Vance Nichols

Dwight Vance Nichols
Dwight Vance Nichols, newspaper editor and news man for over 55 years, was born in Wilkes County, North Carolina near Purlear community March 3, 1910. Dwight was the son of David Vance and Sara Julia Bumgarner Nichols. He attended Bell's View (now, Miller's Creek) Elementary School. He graduated and then entered Miller's Creek High School for his first three years and transferred to Wilkesboro High School where he graduated with academic honors in 1926. Dwight attended business college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina financing created by evening work at R.J. Reynold's Tobacco Company which was formed in that area. Following business college he returned to Wilkes County and began work at the Wilkes Journal newspaper which was owned and operated by the Carter-Hubbard Publishing Company..Dwight worked there for two years then the Wilkes Journal merged with the Wilkes Partiot in 1932 and Dwight became the editor for the Wilkes Journal-Patriot where he worked for 50 years until retirement when he was given the title of Editor Emeritus. During his active editor years, Dwight interviewed two U.S. Presidents. President Ronald Reagan, President Gerald Ford as well as some North Carolina Governors, U.S. Cabinet members and other widely known and respected leaders. Twice in his career Dwight was awarded first place in the state for best editorials and he collaborated with a fellow employee in creating an advertisement judged best by the North Carolina Press Association. Dwight was honored for his first place achievement in the nation by the Veteran of Foreign War Auxilary. He was flown to Los Angeles, California where he was awarded the Ernie Pyle Plaque to commemorate this event. Dwight has been recipient of these and many other local, county and state honors. After Dwight's death, a Dwight Vance Nichols Memorial Scholarship Fund was created at Wilkes Community College and is still functioning today. Since age of 10, Dwight was a Baptist so for his last 20 years he was teacher or assistant teacher at Center Baptist Curch. In his early life he was active in New Hope Baptist Church. Dwight was married to Louise Pearson (divorced) and later to Lou Emma Brooks who also worked for Carter-Hubbard Publishing Company. He was father of three sons and two daughters. The sons; David Vance, Daniel Grey, and Dwight Ray. The daughters; Bonnie Louise and Nancy Julia.